Fit Brains Blog » brain healthhttp://www.fitbrains.com/blog
Thu, 04 Sep 2014 22:43:17 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.910 Tips to Wake Up, Refresh, & Energize Your Brainhttp://www.fitbrains.com/blog/wakeup-brain-tips/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wakeup-brain-tips
http://www.fitbrains.com/blog/wakeup-brain-tips/#commentsMon, 25 Aug 2014 21:47:12 +0000http://www.fitbrains.com/blog/?p=3112Bad News: It’s Monday morning. Coffee is not working. Schedule for the day involves a lot of thinking, talking, and moving. Good News: Coffee is not the only solution to life’s problems. Weekday mornings are never appealing to the brain. However, there are certain things you can do to ease the torturous time and effort to wake […]

]]>Bad News:It’s Monday morning.Coffee is not working.Schedule for the day involves a lot of thinking, talking, and moving.

Good News:
Coffee is not the only solution to life’s problems.

Weekday mornings are never appealing to the brain. However, there are certain things you can do to ease the torturous time and effort to wake up, refresh, and energize your mind. Check out our tips below:

Drink Water — Drink a glass of water immediately after you wake up to kick up your metabolism and de-fog your brain.

Don’t “Snooze” — You’re setting yourself up to feel lazy & unmotivated throughout the day when you delay waking up and hit “snooze” multiple times in the morning. Pick a time that gives you enough sleep but also enough time to go through your morning routine without rushing, and wake up when your first alarm rings.

Open the Blinds – Sunlight has a direct effect on the activity in our brains. When we deprive our brains of light, we will stay in a groggy, sleep-like state of consciousness. Bright light helps shift our brain waves to higher frequencies and triggers the release of brain-happy neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.

Exercise in the Morning — The act of exercising in the morning might sound horrendous if you’ve never done it, but besides obvious health reasons, it’ll actually give you more energy throughout the whole day. Try sleeping in your workout clothes to lessen the chances of making excuses in the morning.

Turn up the Music — Listen to some upbeat tunes as you get ready in the morning. Studies have shown that music is the one stimulus that lights up the entire brain on a PET scan. Music helps the brain release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate the brain’s pleasure and reward centres, as well as emotional responses and motivation.

Take a Cold Shower — No explanation needed. It’s horrible. But it works.

Don’t treat Coffee like a “Drug” — On days you feel more energized, try to forego the coffee, or at least try cutting down the amount you drink everyday. If you absolutely need a pick-me-up, try drinking some brain-healthy green tea instead!

Eat Breakfast — Take the phrase “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” seriously. Breakfast gives your brain vital nutrients that it needs in order to optimally carry out mental processes throughout the day. Think of it as fuel for your body, without it, you’ll run out of fumes! Try including some brain-healthy foods in your breakfast diet.

Talk to Someone — Engage in some light chit-chat with a family member, friend, or co-worker in the morning. Even though you might not feel like it, taking the initiative to engage in a conversation really helps to get your mind & body out of a “zombie-like” state.

Play Fit Brains — Prep your brain for a new day’s workload by spending a few minutes playing Fit Brains brain games. Fit Brains exercises help stimulate and sharpen your mental responses, and prime your mind to better focus on the tasks throughout the day. You can play Fit Brains on any web browser or train on-the-go with our iOS, Android, or Amazon app!

Do YOU have any “wake-up” tips of your own? Share with us in the comments below or on Twitter or Facebook using the hashtag #wakeupbraintip!

Whether you’re a native English speaker, someone new to the English language, or you’re interested in learning a new language, the Fit Brains Language Trainer app is for you! This app will help sharpen & improve your overall speaking, reading, and writing fluency, and will also train you to learn new languages easier and faster.

Fit Brains: Language Trainer includes 360+ unique games & training sessions that are designed to enhance all aspects of your language skills, including Vocabulary, Stem Completion, Comprehension, Language Acquisition, and Verbal Fluency.

In all our apps, performance tools will allow you to track & improve your scores in different areas. Best of all, if you’re logged into your Fit Brains Network account, your scores & progress will be connected across all your Fit Brains apps! This means you can improve your scores (including your overall brain score, your Fit Brains Index) by playing any Fit Brains apps!

Vitamin E: Experts in the US found the annual rate of functional decline among dementia sufferers was reduced by 19% thanks to a daily vitamin E supplement

Selenium: A single serving of oats contains over a quarter of the selenium you need each day to protect brain cells from oxidants

Manganese: A single serving of oats contains over two-thirds of the manganese you need each day to help he body process the brain nutrients Choline & Thiamine.

Below is a basic recipe on how to make oatmeal plus some additional toppings you can add that are also super brain foods!

Easy Oatmeal Recipe (+ optional brain-healthy toppings!)

Serves: 2

What you Need:

1 Cup Water (we like to substitute with soy/almond milk to make it creamier!)

1/3 Cup Steel Cut Oats

Honey or Brown Sugar

Optional Brain-Healthy Toppings:

Berries (e.g. Blueberries, Blackberries)

Bananas

Cinnamon

Nuts (e.g. Almonds, Walnuts, Cashews)

Seeds (e.g. Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin seeds)

Nut Butters

Putting it all Together:

Bring water (or milk) to a boil

Add oats, reduce heat to low

Stir in a little honey or brown sugar to sweeten

Simmer for 15-20 minutes (or however long the package says) until water is absorbed

Add toppings of your choice & enjoy!

Leave a comment below & let us know how the recipe worked out for you & suggest your own variation! Check out the Fit Brains‘collection of recipes, we will add new brain healthy recipes every couple of days so visit often!

By having fun and training with Fit Brains: Logic Trainerfor just 5-10 minutes a day, it will help you gain these crucial benefits:

Faster problem-solving

Sharper reasoning abilities

Easier understanding of new information

Form needed habits & routines easier

Improvement in abstract thinking

Gain greater thinking perspectives

Better observation skills

Make better decisions with effective logical solutions

In all our apps, performance tools will allow you to track & improve your scores in different areas. Best of all, if you’re logged into your Fit Brains Networkaccount on your app, your scores & progress will be connected across all your Fit Brains apps! This means you can improve your scores (including your overall brain score, your Fit Brains Index) by playing any Fit Brains apps!

In all our apps, performance tools will allow you to track & improve your scores in different areas. Best of all, if you’re logged into your Fit Brains Network account on your app, your scores & progress will be connected across all your Fit Brains apps! This means you can improve your scores (including your overall brain score, your Fit Brains Index) by playing any Fit Brains apps!

Find the right brain training & health apps for you by trying out all Fit Brains apps for FREE(column to your right). We have many more brain games & health apps coming your way, so stay updated with us onFacebook, Twitter, &this blog!

]]>http://www.fitbrains.com/blog/new-app-fit-brains-visual-trainer/feed/5Gender & the Brain: Differences between Women & Menhttp://www.fitbrains.com/blog/women-men-brains/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=women-men-brains
http://www.fitbrains.com/blog/women-men-brains/#commentsTue, 18 Feb 2014 22:00:51 +0000http://www.fitbrains.com/blog/?p=2969A study completed recently in December 2013 on nearly 1,000 brain scans has surprisingly confirmed what many of us thought…that there are major differences between the male & female brain. Women’s and men’s brains are indeed wired in fundamentally different ways. The research showed that on average, female brains are highly connected across the left and right […]

A study completed recently in December 2013 on nearly 1,000 brain scans has surprisingly confirmed what many of us thought…that there are major differences between the male & female brain. Women’s and men’s brains are indeed wired in fundamentally different ways.

The research showed that on average, female brains are highly connected across the left and right hemispheres, and connections in male brains are typically stronger between the front and back regions. Men’s brains tend to perform tasks predominantly on the left-side, which is the logical/rational side of the brain. Women, on the other hand, use both sides of their brains because a woman’s brain has a larger Corpus Callosum, which means women can transfer data between the right and left hemispheres faster than men.

Here is a list of the basic differences between women & men based on research studies of the brain done up to now. This might be a handy list to show to your other half to avoid future misunderstandings!

Brain Size & Brain Connections: Women’s brains are 8% smaller than men’s, but have more interconnections. Women perform better at “bigger picture” & situational thinking while men do better on more specific spatial thinking (problem solving, and pattern prediction involving objects and their spatial relationships).

Multi-tasking: Men tend to be better at learning and performing a single task, like cycling or navigating, and women are better at juggling different tasks at once.

Social Context: Women are better at social thinking & interactions than men, while men are more abstract and task-orientated. This is why women are normally better at communication while men more often prefer relying on themselves to get things done.

Emotions: Women typically have a larger limbic system than men, which makes them more in touch and expressive with their emotions. Women are usually more empathic and comprehensive in thinking, while men focus on exact issues and disregard impertinent information. Men have a difficult time understanding emotions not explicitly verbalized but can think more logically, while women have a more wholesome view of thinking & understanding but their emotions can sometimes influence decisions.

Math Skills: A brain area called the “Inferior-Parietal Lobule (IPL)” is normally larger in men than women. This area is thought to control mathematical processes, which explains why men typically can perform mathematical tasks better than women.

Pain: Women tend to perceive pain more intensely than men. The Amygdala is the brain area activated when pain is felt. The right Amygdala is activated for men and the left Amygdala is activated for women. The right Amygdala has more connections with external functions while the left Amygdala has more connections with internal functions.

Coordination & Movement: Men are generally better with coordination, controlling their movements, and have faster reaction times.

Language: Women are more attuned to words and sounds and are normally better at learning languages. This is also why men tend to have a harder time expressing emotions verbally.

Memory: Women generally have better memory than men. They have greater activity in the brain’s hippocampus, which is part of the brain that helps store memories. Studies have shown women are generally better at recalling words, names, faces, pictures, objects, and everyday events.

Sense of Direction: Men has shown to have better visual-spatial & geographic memory and thinking, meaning they tend to have a better sense of direction and remembering where locations and areas are.

Risks & Rewards: Men has a brain wired for risk-taking more than women. Male brains get a bigger burst of endorphins, sensation of pleasure, when faced with a risky or challenging situation. And the bigger the reward is, the more likely a man will take a risk.

Senses & Sex: Men focus more on their visual sense, among other senses of perception; while women tend to use multiple senses. In terms of sexual activity, men are prevalently turned on by what they see, whereas women are turned on by multiple sources: ambience, touch, scent, as well as visual perception.

What did you think about the list? Tell us in the comments! Be sure to follow our blog for more lifestyle & health tips and lists. Also, both our female and male readers can benefit from a stronger & healthier brain by playing Fit Brains brain training games, so check it out!

If you feel like you can improve your abilities to think faster, process thoughts better, or differentiate visual/audio cues more effectively, the Fit Brains: Speed Trainer app is for you!

If you have been playing the original Fit Brains Trainer app, you’ll know the app targets different brain areas. As each individual have selected areas where they need additional work on, we decided to create specific “Target Trainers” targeting each of the crucial brain areas.

In all our apps, performance tools will allow you to track & improve your scores in different areas. Best of all, if you’re logged into your Fit Brains account on your app, your scores & progress will be connected across all your Fit Brains apps! This means you can improve your scores (including your overall brain score, your Fit Brains Index) by playing any of the Fit Brains apps!

Thank you very much for being a part of Fit Brains’ community, we hope you have been enjoying all the new & existing Fit Brains apps (check out the column on the right for all our current brain apps!). We have many more brain games & health apps coming your way, so stay updated with us on Facebook, Twitter, & this blog!

Honeydew melon & raspberries are amazingbrain foods! Raspberries contain antioxidants that can prevent inflammation in the brain. Berry fruits have also been reported to improve memory & motor control. B-vitamins found in Honeydew melon help prevent or slow down the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Honeydew melon also contain an important antioxidant called Zeaxanthin to protect vision by absorbing harmful blue light rays and preventing age-related Macular Degeneration.

]]>http://www.fitbrains.com/blog/recipe-melon-slices/feed/2Tips on How to Sleep Betterhttp://www.fitbrains.com/blog/sleeping-tips/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sleeping-tips
http://www.fitbrains.com/blog/sleeping-tips/#commentsTue, 14 Jan 2014 19:37:51 +0000http://www.fitbrains.com/blog/?p=2953One of the biggest boosts you can give your brain is a good night’s sleep. Adequate sleep is vital to proper brain function. Without it — our judgment, reaction time, memory and other brain functions may be impaired. According to Dr. Mark Mahowald, a professor of neurology at the University of Minnesota Medical School, one […]

One of the biggest boosts you can give your brain is a good night’s sleep. Adequate sleep is vital to proper brain function. Without it — our judgment, reaction time, memory and other brain functions may be impaired. According to Dr. Mark Mahowald, a professor of neurology at the University of Minnesota Medical School, one night of lost sleep has the same impact in simulated driving tests as illegally high blood-alcohol levels.

Turn in early to give yourself 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night (this is considered average, though some people may need as few as 5 or as many as 10 hours.) For many, falling asleep is a challenge. Anxiety, stress, pain, interpersonal conflicts and medication all impact one’s ability to get a good night’s sleep. Luckily, sleep is a learned behaviour and you can change it.

7 Suggestions to Improve Your Sleep

Cut down on caffeine - Even if you don’t stop it completely, reducing makes a difference.

Get more exercise - Walk daily, you will notice a difference immediately.

Listen to a soothing CD before bed. Or try white noise to create a background.

Take a warm bath before bed.

Maintain a regular schedule. Going to bed and getting up around the same time help you develop a rhythm that can make falling asleep easier.

Spruce up your sleeping area. A comfortable mattress, comfortable bedding and blackout curtains can make a world of difference.

Use the bed for sleep, not channel or Internet surfing.

Make sure you bookmark our blog & check back often for more health & lifestyle tips! Also, remember to keep your brain sharp by training with Fit Brains!

]]>http://www.fitbrains.com/blog/sleeping-tips/feed/0Happy New Year from Fit Brains!http://www.fitbrains.com/blog/happynewyear-2013/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=happynewyear-2013
http://www.fitbrains.com/blog/happynewyear-2013/#commentsTue, 31 Dec 2013 21:21:51 +0000http://www.fitbrains.com/blog/?p=2945It has been an amazing year of growth here at Fit Brains. We went from 1 successful brain training app to a whole portfolio of brain training & health apps, reaching 5+ million users in 90+ countries, surpassing 60000+ ratings averaging 4.5 stars across all of our apps, and now at the end of the […]

It has been an amazing year of growth here at Fit Brains. We went from 1 successful brain training app to a whole portfolio of brain training & health apps, reaching 5+ million users in 90+ countries, surpassing 60000+ ratings averaging 4.5 stars across all of our apps, and now at the end of the year, we just joined a great new company that will support our continuing rapid growth & expansion.

We wanted to wish you a Happy New Year & say thank you to all of our users & fans for brain training with Fit Brains products!

2014 is going to be an even bigger year for Fit Brains, so we won’t talk much more now, as there will be many more new updates coming for our users very soon! Thank you everyone again, stay updated with Fit Brains on this blog, Facebook, Twitter, & your Fit Brains emails, and have a happy New Year celebration!